100 Years Ago

A GENERAL election campaign was in full swing but the 1906 election differed from today's in that the whole of the country did not go to the polls on the same day. Instead voting was spread over almost three weeks. The first ballot was on January 13 in Ipswich followed the next day by several towns including Leeds and Bradford. However, Skipton would not be voting until January 26 declared the returning officer.

Campaign meetings for the election were held in virtually every village hall and Conservative candidate Captain Roundell started his in Bell Busk "now fallen on evil times by reason of the suspension of work at the silk mill".

The landlord of the Punch Bowl in Low Bentham appeared before Ingleton magistrates accused of serving alcohol after 10pm. What made the case even juicier were his 17 co-defendants accused of drinking after time - they included Rev Percy Coates, rector of Bentham and Rev John Llewellyn, headmaster of Bentham Grammar School. The case centred on a meeting of Bentham Parish Church Bowls Club, of which all defendants were members, being held in the Assembly Rooms. The magistrates heard that although the rooms were not licensed premises, the beer being drunk was merely a gift from the pub landlord to his fellow club members and promptly dismissed the case. Rev Coates issued a statement condemning the double scandal that the police did not know the facts and that "irresponsible correspondents should try to make capital out of other people's problems" - presumably a dig at the press for having the nerve to report court proceedings.

A Settle woman appealed to Settle Rural District Council for a grant on behalf of her son, who had lost two fingers when a grate stored on the green had fallen on his hand. She pointed out that had they belonged to a private individual some compensation would be due. The council said that there was no legislation by which it could make a grant to the woman, even though public sentiment was very much on her side.

50 Years Ago

TWO Boer War veterans who had not seen each other for 50 years were reunited in hospital. Fred Dacre, of Skipton, recognised the new resident of the bed next to him in Skipton General Hospital as Bill Brown, from Earby. They had volunteered together for the war but had not seen each other since they were demobbed when the war ended. Two other local veterans of the Boer War visited them to reminisce about their experiences.

Grassington Gala was just six months away but absolutely nothing had been planned apart from the date, said an exasperated member of the committee. He said the village showed nothing but general apathy for the gala and if the next public meeting was not attended then the gala would be scrapped, which would be a shame as more than £100 had been distributed to village causes from the last event.

Earby Urban Council said it could not reserve any council houses for policemen. If they wished for a council house then they would have to join the list like anyone else it told the West Riding force.

Craven Motor Club, for motorcyclists, marked 10 years since it was founded by pointing out that members had ridden one million miles in the club's Sunday social outings without a single accident. The club had been formed with just 16 members but now had 155 and the club president noted that crash helmets were worn by 90 per cent of members and the days of berets and flat hats on motorbikes were disappearing.

The sweet shop owned by Miss Norah Hartley in Newtown, Barnoldswick, was badly damaged by fire.

25 Years Ago

THE first stage of renovation work on Bolton Abbey Priory Church was completed with the straightening of the south wall. That meant work could begin on the next stage - repairing timber beams and replacing the roof covering. An appeal for the entire project hoped to raise £300,000 and at that stage it had reached £85,000.

A Farnhill man who was shot down in a Lancaster bomber in an air raid on Berlin was reunited with one of his old flying crew comrades. Flight engineer Jeffrey Taylor was one of only three survivors of the crash and spent the rest of the war as a prisoner. He had managed to trace the bomb aimer, Edward Lowe, who had emigrated to Canada after the war, and Mr Taylor travelled out to see him again.

The new heating system at St Michael's Church, Linton, was proving popular with the local mice. It seems they had come into the church attracted by the heat and found the servers' and choristers robes a tasty treat. A team of ladies banded together and carried out repairs while the mice met a nasty end in traps.

10 Years Ago

A GUEST house owner called into question the motives of the Methodist church. The Corncrake in Cracoe had formerly been a Methodist chapel and its deeds precluded the sale of alcohol. The new owner wanted to serve alcohol to guests and his solicitor wrote to the church authorities. They replied that they would agree to relaxing the rules for a "consideration" of £1,500.

David Blackburn, waterways manager for the Leeds-Liverpool Canal, said Skipton was one of the worst spots for rubbish being dumped in the canal. The effects were all too apparent after heavy frosts with supermarket trolleys, bar stools from pubs, chairs and polystyrene fish and chip wrappers all lying on the ice. Mr Blackburn said that when dredged a common find was a stolen safe, dumped in the canal after it had been broken into.